William E. Snook Sr., 99, a highly-decorated World War II veteran, passed away Saturday, November 17, at Brethren Care Village Health Care Center following a short illness.

Known to everyone as Ed, he was born in Ashland on January 21, 1919, to Treva and Franklin Edward Snook, as the fourth of seven children. He was preceded in death by sisters Carrie Dunham, Frances Dreher, Betty Ekey and Alice Snook.

Snook was a 1938 graduate of Ashland High School, where he was a three-time letterman and two-time captain of the Arrows’ varsity basketball team.

Following graduation from Ashland High, he worked at A.L. Garber before enlisting in the U.S. Army’s 27th Infantry Division in the spring of 1941 and was stationed in Mineral Wells, Texas, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. His company was then shipped to Hawaii and became stationed on the Big Island of Hawaii, before Pacific Theater combat missions in the Marshall Islands, Majuro, the Gilbert Islands, Saipan and Okinawa, among others.

Snook received the Bronze Star for saving a comrade in battle on the Island of Saipan in June of 1944, which waged on for one month until U.S. forces captured the island July 9 of that year. He also received The Purple Heart, as well as several other medals.
His company was in combat on Okinawa when the Japanese announced their surrender on Aug. 15, 1945.
Following V-J Day, Snook returned to his hometown of Ashland and his job at Garber, where he met the love of his life, Ferne Biddinger. The couple was married June 30, 1946, at First Christian Church.

Throughout his professional career, he was employed by the Ashland Airport, A.L. Garber (1938-41, 1945-60), Ad-Art (1960-70), Polar Foods (1970-77) of Ashland and Trio Foods of Lexington, Ohio, before retiring in 1984.

He and his wife loved traveling, especially to Hawaii, which Snook considered his second home after falling in love with the islands during the War. The couple also had many friends who lived on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Snook was a life member of the First Christian Church, where he served as a deacon, the American Legion Harry Higgins Post 88, Elks Club, and the Ashland YMCA, where he spent most of his lunch hours throughout his career.

He was an avid fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes, Cleveland Indians, Browns and Cavaliers and attended many games over the decades, dating to the Browns’ championship years in the All-American Football Conference in the late 1940s, pre-dating their entry into the NFL in 1950.
He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Ferne Darlene Snook, children Rebecca (James) Shank of Tiffin, Ohio; William E. (Beverly) Snook Jr. of Ashland; Jeffrey A. (Amy) Snook of Atlantis, Florida.
He had seven grandchildren: Melissa (Robert) Bowers, Michelle (Karl) Kurtz, Jared (Michelle) Shank, Danielle (Chris) Clady, William E. (Danielle) Snook III, Savanna Snook and Dillon Jon Snook; and 11 great grandchildren. He also is survived by two brothers, George Snook, of Sylvania, Ohio, and Richard Snook, of Euclid, Ohio.

Funeral services will be held at the First Christian Church at 1425 King Road, Ashland, Monday, Nov. 26, at 11:30 a.m. with Pastor Rich Pate officiating. Friends may call from 10-11:30 a.m.. Interment will follow in the Ashland Cemetery, with the Ashland Veterans Honor Guard providing full military honors.

Donations can be made in his memory to the First Christian Church,1425 King Road or the Hospice of North Central Ohio at 1050 Dauch Drive, Ashland, Ohio 44805.
Online condolences may be made at www.denbowfh.com. Denbow Gasche Funeral Home and Crematory is handling the arrangements.